Late Night Calling
by Sunshine and Chocolate
Summary: Derek makes a surprising visit after the events of 2x03 where both Addison and Meredith kiss him.
1. Chapter 1

Late Night Calling

Rating: K+

Pairing: Addison and Derek

Spoilers: The last moments for Derek in 2x03. Both kisses mentioned.

Summary: Derek makes a surprising visit after both of the women in his life kiss him.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Derek sighed.

He really had no clue what he was doing. There was no easy explanation for why he was standing outside of that door about to knock. He could speculate that it was out of anger, fear, or maybe it was out of desperation. All of those theories were fantastic when used to hide the simple fact that they were anything but true.

Sure, he felt all of those things.

He was angry. Derek had every right to be angry.

But it wasn't why he was there.

He was fearful of so many things he could not count them all.

But it wasn't why he was there.

He was also desperate to make all of the memories, thoughts, and feelings disappear.

But it wasn't why he was there.

Derek was standing outside her hotel room door because of his deep dark secret. It was that he knew she was right about pretty much everything. One would think that after fifteen years together that he would have learned she was always right. But when there was three thousand miles of space between them he could ignore that she existed at all. So she was neither right nor wrong if she was not in existence.

That was not so easy when they were in the same city. Not easy when she was in the same hospital, and it was not easy when his feet took control and guided him up to the NICU just to see if she was around. It was impossible to pretend she did not exist when her soft lips had touched his and it was uneasy to dispel the weird feeling of guilt he felt when Meredith had kissed him at the entrance to the hospital a short time later.

That led him back to his original problem.

Derek knew that he was there because he _wanted_ to be. Derek knew that he was there because he had missed her so damn much. He was there because he was her husband, and she was his wife and there was really no other place that he belonged.

He sighed again, and raised his hand to knock.

Only a few moments later the door opened to reveal her. Addison was dressed in a light blue thin cotton robe with her hair pulled back off of her face. She furrowed her eyebrows at him, and opened the door further.

"Derek?"

He nodded, "Yep."

She shook her head, "What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" He asked and for some reason he was scared that she would shut him out. She might reject him.

Addison smiled slightly, and stepped aside to let him enter. He walked into the plush hotel suite. The walls were a calming off white, as were the sheets, pillows, flowers, and chairs. They were only accented by the gold features scattered around the room, totally Manhattan.

It was totally her and him too.

Derek turned around in time to see Addison close the door. He was not sure what compelled him to do it but by the time she moved to step into the room, he had invaded her personal space. She was so close that their noses brushed, and one of her hands was on his chest.

"Derek?"

He slowly pushed back until Addison was up against the door. Derek put one hand on the door behind her head, and the other on her waist as he brushed his nose against hers. He moved her lips closer to his but teased her only… never committing to anything.

"What—what you do if I kissed you, right now?"

She inhaled slowly, and stared at him. "Kiss you back."

It was the only encouragement he required before he slowly pulled her into a kiss. Just like every other time they kissed, Derek felt something inside of him click into place. It could be put into so many cliché terms, he knew. Love of his life. All of those could apply.

But basically, Derek loved her.

Addison sighed against his mouth as he pulled back and stepped away from her, out of her personal circle. She opened her eyes and stared into his, he never broke the gaze.

"What are you doing here?" She asked softly.

Derek shook his head a little and turned around to the room. "I am not really sure."

He walked toward the huge picture window, and gazed out at the sparkling city lights of Seattle. At times like this he could imagine that he was back at home. On an island, surrounded by water, with the city all light up. It was his home for so many reasons.

Addison moved closer to the bed, and stood by the end as she watched him. The fleece jacket he wore was wet from the slight drizzle the city was being blanketed under. His jeans were old, and not new to his "new" laid back lifestyle of SGH.

It comforted her to know that not _everything_ had changed, although he was no longer the polished, and primped-always wears a tie and jacket surgeon of NYC. He was still the guy that wore his favorite jeans with the grass stain on the knee as much as he could as often as he could because he loved them so much. Derek hadn't left all of his life behind.

She saw the weight of their situation weighing on his shoulders as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. It was a sure sign of his more distressing thoughts.

"Meredith kissed me." Derek whispered.

Her throat constricted on her.

Addison tried not to be shocked. She knew they had had a relationship of some sort. She tried her hardest not to feel jealous. It was really not her right to feel that way after what she had done. She tried really hard to be sensible, and understanding. But she failed horribly. Addison felt a wave of envy and anger rush through her at the knowledge that that intern had dared to kiss her husband.

"Oh," Was all that she could say. She had no real standing to be upset but she was. So it might be best to keep quiet.

"And—and I felt like I was cheating on you." Derek turned around and looked into her eyes.

He saw confusion in her blue orbs.

"All of a sudden, I wasn't this single guy trying to move on with his life. I was a married man, with a wife upstairs and there was no reason another woman should be able to kiss me. All of a sudden Meredith had no right to kiss me like a boyfriend."

Addison nodded and stayed silent but felt the jealous tension leave her body. Although, it still stung to hear another woman considered the young woman had considered _her_ Derek, her boyfriend.

"I guess… I am here because this is our marriage. I want it more than anything."

Derek shrugged, "It won't be easy. It won't come quickly. I am angry, hurt, betrayed, and pissed off."

She nodded because there was nothing she could say to that. And really there was nothing she wanted to say to it either.

He walked back toward her and stood toe to toe with her. She could tell he was tired but from what she wasn't quite sure. Still, he mesmerized her. Addison never imagined her future without him in it. She was happy that despite her actions she might not have to do that.

Derek brought up one hand and ran a hand under her chin. His thumb traced a path across her cheek as he sighed but his lips turned up in a slight smile.

"I am still your husband."

She smiled in return as he let his hand fall to his side. Derek looked around awkwardly and started toward the door. Addison watched him the whole way and when his hand touched the door knob she called out.

He turned.

"I am still your wife."

Derek smiled as he opened the door. "Good to know."

The door shut with a click, and Addison was left alone in her empty hotel room. But for the first time since arriving in Seattle, she felt like she belonged and was wanted.

As she sat down on the bed and wrapped the covers over her legs she knew that she had the one thing she had been missing for months.

Hope.

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End.

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	2. Chapter 2

Late Night Calling

Chapter 2

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Addison woke up the next morning feeling pretty good. Considering the circumstances surrounding her marriage the last thing she ever expected was to see him on her doorstep last night. It was late, and she had been tired but seeing him made her fatigue disappear.

Their conversation was not the most reassuring. But what mattered was that they had had it.

So as she walked through the halls of SGH Addison wondered about what had motivated him to come over as unexpectedly as he had. Derek had told her it was his intern girlfriend. Meredith Grey.

She had kissed him. It was understandable.

Addison knew what the young woman saw in her husband. Besides, the obvious good looks, and very appealing salary, Derek could turn on the charm. He could be considerate at times when one would not expect it like making her hot chocolate with a cinnamon stick during halftime of the football game on a Sunday. He was a good listener, and was able to remember little things about the people he cared about.

Derek was also quite brave when he was facing things he might not want to try, like going on the biggest rollercoaster in the fun park even though he did not like heights. He was not exactly _afraid _but would rather do without them if he could. It never stopped him, and they still had the pictures from Tower of Terror to prove it.

She wondered if his girlfriend knew that about him. Addison knew that Meredith possibly looked up to Derek in some ways too. When he got into an operating room, his element, there was nothing and no one that could defeat him seeing that it would be hard not to be attracted to him.

As Addison rounded a corner, she was confronted with something that had been plaguing her since arriving in Seattle.

Derek stood next to his intern at the nurses' station, with a quiet smile on his handsome face. The young blonde was standing close to him, a little too close, and they seem to be discussing a case because there was a file open on the counter between them.

What plagued the redhead was this; what exactly did her husband feel for his girlfriend? How serious were they? She refused to entertain the thought that Derek was in love with Meredith. But by the looks the young intern was sending him, Addison could not say the same thing about her.

So that was another complication.

Addison knew that it would not be easy. She had no idea where she really stood with her husband regardless of their conversation last night. Seeing Derek talking to his blonde girlfriend was all of the solid proof she needed. Things were different. They weren't the super-couple they had once been in their home of Manhattan. Derek had changed or at least he said he had. She was sure there was a large part of him that wanted to change.

He wanted to change into a person that had no ties to other cities, no obligations to go home at Christmas and most importantly no wife and best friend that had slept together. To Addison, it almost seemed a natural reaction given some of Derek's tendencies.

No matter what they called him at this hospital, McDreamy did not like to talk about his feelings especially if he was upset, and heartbroken unless he was completely comfortable with a person. Even then it took some time to break down his walls, she used to be able to do that. Addison was usually the person he ran to about such matters.

Not the case when she was the one that had caused the heartbreak… and definitely not Mark. Those two liked to pretend they were mucho men. Mucho men that watch football, drank beer, play video games, and had seen Scarface and Die Hard more times than either could count. Addison knew though, that when those two got together they acted more like nine-year old boys than mucho men.

She kind of found it endearing.

Addison looked at the pair once more. Her eyes focused on Derek. His hair was scruffy, a little stubble on his chin, the grin played out on his lips, and one hand on his hip as he talked about his case. To someone who did not know him, he would seem joyful and happy. The carefree twinkle wasn't in his bright blue eyes, and that was the giveaway. It was a front. To keep people away, and make sure they never asked questions he did not want to answer.

She debated whether or not to go and break up their little "conference". A part of her wanted to just to make his little girlfriend squirm. Put them both on the spot. There was another part of her that knew she wasn't on solid ground with her marriage, that her actions needed to be thought out and not rash or impulsive.

One thing Addison knew for sure was that she was not going to give up. She was in for the fight of her life, and whether or not Derek thought so they owed it to themselves to make damn sure their marriage was given a chance.

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End of Chapter 2.

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	3. Chapter 3

Late Night Calling

Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: **_I have decided that for the purposes of this story Addison did not stay with Mark after Derek left for Seattle. So as of right now that is all you need to know to follow this storyline although this chapter does not deal with Addison.

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Derek knew that he had feelings for Meredith. He just wasn't certain what they were or what they meant to him or for his marriage.

He stretched his arms above his head.

The pace of this hospital was different than he had expected. It was harder to adjust than he had anticipated when he had accepted Richard's offer to work here. Those thoughts weren't in his mind then. More than anything he had just wanted to get away.

It was why he had even agreed. Derek just couldn't stand to be around the people he worked with. Nor could he look at Addison or Mark in the eye, let alone work with them on a case if there had been a need for it. That was too much for him to handle.

He couldn't continue to live in New York any more knowing that around every corner he would remember something about Addison and him. It was his home as a kid but now all of it was associated with her. It was their home, their city.

So he ran away to Seattle under the guise of a great work opportunity. Derek knew it was especially since he knew that he could beat Burke for the position of Chief. But that offer had been on the table for a while before he took it so that wasn't the reason why he left.

Addison was what had been holding him back that and his practice had been so successful in New York that he had no need to pursue something else. It had never been considered by him before that night. There had been no reason to when his whole life was on the East Coast.

Derek sighed as he leaned against the railing of the catwalk.

It was one of his favorite spots in the entire hospital. It was peaceful in the early morning after a surgery. The flag rippling in the wind with the sun rising in the background was a beautiful sight and with the green trees of Seattle it almost seemed like Central Park.

Even though he raved about his forty acres, Addison had been the one to push for making the Central Park brownstone their home.

He had preferred a very posh penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side. It had a great open living room with a huge bedroom for he and Addie just perfect for the two of them.

Addison had loved the brownstone because it had more a home-y feeling to it. That was what she had told him. She loved that they could see the park from their upstairs office, and that it had a fireplace too. Derek knew that the kitchen was another favorite of hers as well.

They had argued about which one would be a better fit for their lives. The funny thing was that he honestly believed it was an argument he could win. It was foolish because all she had to do was touch his chest lightly with that lopsided smirk on her lips and he was hers.

At least he had been at one point in time. He just wasn't sure anymore.

If only he could go back to those days when all that mattered between he and Addison was their love. It was all so simple then.

"Hey!"

Derek turned his head to see Meredith walking toward him. He smiled a little as she approached. A few seconds later she came to stand next to him as he backed off of the railing. He breathed in with slight apprehension. Barely a foot of space was between them, and it made him uncomfortable for some reason.

So he stretched his back out, and stepped a few feet away and placed one hand in his pocket. Meredith, in her pale blue scrubs, looked down at her feet awkwardly.

For the first time neither knew what to say. Only the night before Meredith had discovered the unsigned divorce papers in his briefcase. Her shock had been hard for him to miss.

Needless to say, their "date" had gone south after that.

She turned her eyes back up to him.

"So, how did you sleep last night?" Meredith asked quietly. Completely avoiding the subject but wanting to talk to him.

He shrugged. "Okay I guess."

When Derek did not add anything her demeanor changed. He watched as she went from wanting to start a personal conversation with him to being cold and distant. Sometimes she seemed to think at work their personal lives were fair game for conversation. That bothered him on occasion, too. Coming to Seattle he had become less professional then he used to be.

Maybe it was because up until recently Addison wasn't working in the same building.

Maybe that was what made talking to Meredith about them seem more unprofessional.

"Those scans are back on Mrs. Jensen. You can look at them anytime because I put them in her files." She said and looked him in the eye as she folded her arms over her chest. He could tell that she wanted him to say more but it just wasn't in him.

"Thanks… I'll go do that in a few minutes."

Her pale blue eyes widened slightly and she seemed surprised that he did not take her bait into starting a discussion about the papers. If Meredith thought giving him the cold shoulder would make him confide in her she was mistaken.

Derek gave her one last nod, and walked past her.

He knew that Meredith did not understand why he couldn't sign the papers… but he suspected that that had more to do with the two of them as a couple than anything else.

She had some grand ideas about their relationship that weren't really reciprocated by him.

He was sure she believed they were worth throwing away his marriage of twelve years. Derek wasn't as convinced.

They had only been together for a few months. With or without Addison it was too early to discuss those things with Meredith.

But there was Addison to consider… and his marriage wasn't something he took lightly. Derek turned the corner down the hallway and saw the very person occupying his thoughts talking to the "Nazi".

He stopped.

Derek only wished that Addie had felt as strongly about their marriage as he had.

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End of Chapter 3.

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	4. Chapter 4

Late Night Calling

Chapter 4

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Derek scrubbed the soap bar over his knuckles again and again as he stared through the window above the sink. It was another surgery well done, and he had the post-successful surgery high that he always got. It was pretty much mandatory and damn it felt good.

Yang was still in the OR with the nurses suturing up the patient. A twenty year old woman named Susan Adams that was going to become a kindergarten teacher after going to college. Derek had a soft spot for the patient because she reminded him of a woman that he and Addie had known in college. A best friend of theirs and she was really the reason that Addison and he ever met.

But before he could get too caught up in musing about the past, Alex Karev burst through the doors of the scrub room like a bat out of hell.

"Slow down Karev, "Derek reprimanded over his shoulder as he finished rinsing his hands before shutting off the water. He turned toward the intern with his hands dripping wet.

"What's your rush?"

"Dude, they want you down in the ER. It's the She-Shepherd." Alex said with an air of causality about his entire demeanor even though he was out of breath from apparently running there.

Derek turned around with the paper towel in his hands, and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "It's the what?"

"It's what we call your wife, sometimes at least."

Derek dropped the towel and stepped into Karev's personal space. He grabbed him by one arm, and stared him in the eye. "What do you mean my wife is in the ER? Did something happen?"

"Well duh, look she got hurt."

He never waited to hear the end of the intern's sentence. Derek sped out of the door to the scrub room and headed toward the nearest elevator. He was running at top speed as he raced down the corridors and finally found the bank of elevators he was looking for.

Not even bothering to wait for one of them to take him to his destination Derek ripped open the door to the staircase and started to jump down them. He took them a couple at time. Derek rounded the corners without any grace or ease. He ran into a few people on the landings and busted through them as if they had not been standing there at all. He rushed passed people without any care and even caused a few people to trip, or spill their papers and one dropped their lunch all over the place.

But it was all missed by Derek because he had one goal and one thought in mind. That was trying to get to Addison and make sure for himself that she was all right because… if she wasn't then he did not know what he would do.

Only a few moments later he landed on the bottom floor and shoved the door open and continued racing toward the ER.

When he finally arrived at the doors to the emergency room Derek wasted no time in entering and started his search for his redheaded wife.

He stood in the middle of the room looking all around. Derek felt his hands shake at the thought that he knew Addison was so close, needed him and he was still so far away.

At first glance she was nowhere around. So his pale blue eyes searched the hectic room for someone else he could talk to. Nurses and doctors ran rampant and they all had important things to do.

The shaking in his hands increased and he felt his heart start to pound in his ears.

Finally, Derek spotted the woman he knew could give him answers. Dr. Bailey was standing at the counter looking over some files when Derek ran up to her side and started to bombard her with questions.

"What happened to my wife? Where is she? Tell me she did not get hurt!" Derek yelled out before he could catch his breath.

Bailey threw him an annoyed look at his interruption of her work but he knew that there was some sympathy hidden beneath the surface. It was that kindness she showed him by not giving him one of her famous tongue-lashings for his frantic behavior in the ER and instead simply said.

"Addison is behind curtain four."

He turned immediately and ran toward it. Derek got there as fast as he could with trying to maneuver through the ER and not disturb anybody but really he just wanted to see her and know that she was all right.

~x~

Addison had decided to be a gracious visiting attending surgeon and help out around the emergency room with two of the interns assigned there… which of course were Alex Karev and Meredith Grey.

This was the same little blonde woman that had been sleeping with her husband for the last couple of months. Although, it was hardly Meredith's fault and frankly Addison did not blame her for her unknowing part in the whole mess of a marriage she and Derek now shared.

However, it was hard not to feel angry and a little bit jealous of the young doctor. Sure, Addison made her own mistakes and was hardly one to talk. It was something she couldn't help but feel. Meredith had shared a bed with Derek and it was something that Addison hated. It was partially or maybe entirely her fault that that even happened but nothing would change the fact that Addison hated it.

It was not hatred toward Meredith as a person but toward the fact that some other woman besides her had slept with her husband.

But not even those feelings bubbling under the surface was enough to stop Addison from doing her job or helping Meredith do hers.

It had started out pretty normal.

Addison had helped out with one broken arm on a twelve year old and then that was followed by a broken collarbone on a football player. Still very routine and all of that was followed by a few sutures, and one nervous mother that brought in her newborn that had been coughing too much.

It was all expected in an ER.

But that all changed when Addison had been walking out of one of the curtains after finishing up with a patient.

A loud, and almost ear shattering crash resounded throughout the room. She looked up to see the scene unfold before her eyes.

And as if in slow motion a large and burly man with a shaved head and tattoos covering almost all of his visible skin caught Addison's attention. A police officer tried to block his path but the man evaded the officer's grasp and then broke out in a run.

Unfortunately for her, Addison was placed right between this gigantic man and the exit he seemed to be heading for.

The scene seemed to be going in slow motion for her but she was still stuck in place. The man was running right for her and by the time Addison had turned her body even a little the man was next to her. He knocked into her with most his weight on her left side.

Addison felt it knock her off of her balance and she was sent plummeting to the floor. She tried to break her eventual fall but the big man had sent her crashing down upon an instrument tray. Her hands knocked it over and the instruments flew into the air and some fell underneath her body while others landed on her.

She felt one scratch the side of her neck before Addison felt her head hit the side of the table holding the tray before falling to the ground in an unconscious heap.

So that was how she had ended up sitting upright on the bed with blood on her lab coat and skin because of the cut on her neck.

Addison was looking straight ahead of her as she tilted her head to the right so that Meredith Grey could put sutures into the superficial wound. The bright lights of the room were almost blinding her as she tried to focus on something other than the uncomfortable silence.

It, of course, was just her luck that Bailey had sent Karev off seconds after she had fallen leaving only Meredith available to take care of her.

And if the circumstances were anything else then she may try to start some kind of a conversation with the young woman. But Addison's head hurt a little and it was hard to make any type of effort to break the silence that hung around the room.

Addison did not have to do anything it turned out because right at the second the curtain flew open and revealed the one person she wanted to see.

"Derek." She sighed out and held out a hand to him but only a little considering he may not take it. Addison was not willing to be shot down at the moment.

"Addie," Derek said as he rushed forward and took the hand she had extended. Relief filled her body and she smiled in spite of her injury.

"What happened? Karev told me you got hurt, are okay?" Derek said in rush and stepped in closer to her. The heat from his body was enough of a comfort to make Addison feel better, and it was nice to know that Derek still cared.

She saw the worried lines at the corners of his deep blue eyes and the frazzled, almost windblown look of his hair. It was at that moment that Addison realized he had run all the way down from the operating room to see her.

Addison knew it was foolish considering the woman he could still consider his girlfriend was standing right next to them fixing her with stitches but she felt her heart rise in hope that the end was not in sight for their marriage.

When she did not answer right away Derek turned to Meredith and asked her the same questions.

"What happened? Is she going to be okay?"

Addison glanced at Meredith for a moment and could not help but notice the almost longing look that Meredith had in her eyes when glanced at Derek.

But it made no matter to Addison and she returned her gaze to her handsome husband.

"She, there was a guy that was brought in by the police because he was on some kind of drug and um, when he tried to make a run for it. Dr. Shepherd was knocked into an instrument tray which flipped over and some fell on her."

Derek glanced back at her and smiled cautiously. "So she is going to be all right."

This time Addison decided to speak up. "Yeah, I am going to be just fine. It is only a surface wound, nothing major. Just a few bumps and bruises."

Meredith stepped back from her and looked at her, "All done."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Derek moved even closer to Addison and put his hands on her waist as he stood between her legs. She was totally caught up in the intensity of his eyes and the way he was making her tremble. It was something that had never changed.

"Well, I guess I will just have to keep a better eye on you from now on then, huh?" He teased slightly with a smirk.

But Addison could not help but think he was referring to more than just her physical wellbeing. She put her hands on his arms and relished the feel of his muscles underneath her fingers. God, she missed him.

Addison looked up into his eyes and smiled herself. "Yeah, I guess you will."

The two married doctors were so caught up in the moment that neither noticed that Meredith had been listening to their entire conversation. And neither saw the sad look that crossed her face or the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks as she slipped through the curtain.

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End of Chapter 4.

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	5. Chapter 5

Late Night Calling

Chapter 5

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Derek struggled to open the door to the hotel room but found it difficult to do so when he had to keep up the balance between the grocery bags and overnight bags in his arms. The frustration was beginning to get to him as he blew out a huff of breath. The hair that had fallen into his eyes flew up before quickly falling down again and irritating Derek all the more. Because he was finding it harder and harder to resist the urge to push them back into his hair and make them stay there.

If only he could get the little key into the slot but it was nowhere near as simple as the hotel made it out to be. Not one bit and what was not helping was the laughing in the background. The laughter was nice for him to hear but also not helping at all.

Derek paused and turned his head to the side and glared a little. "Do you think that you could maybe, I don't know, just keep quiet for a moment? I am trying to concentrate here."

Addison leaned against the wall, only laughed harder and shook her head. "No, I don't think I can."

Derek sighed and continued with his struggle to open the door. "Maybe you can help out or something?"

Addison shook her head again. "Nope, when we left the hospital this morning you told me specifically that you do not want me to left one finger. I think helping you out would be a direct violation of that."

Derek thought back to that moment in the hospital. After she had been knocked down in the emergency room three days ago he had insisted that she be admitted to the hospital.

So she had spent the last couple of days being watched over by Bailey, Richard, and all of the interns of SGH but the one that was always by her side was him.

He had the nurses set up a cot for him to sleep on and the only moments that Derek was not by Addison's side were when he had to perform surgery and check on his patients.

"Aha!" Derek called out in victory as the light on the doorknob turned green to signal their entry.

"Finally," Addison whispered.

He pushed open the door to let her in, and as she passed by him he whispered in her ear. "I heard that."

She paused for a moment and smirked at him a little. There were only a few inches between their bodies and Derek could feel the heat of her breath on his skin. Addison looked into his eyes then down to his lips before returning her gaze to his and lifted an eyebrow.

"I wasn't exactly trying to hide it."

"But you whispered." He countered and smirked at her. Suddenly the bags in his hands had become less of a burden to him. It was nice to banter with Addie like this again.

"It was a loud whisper." Addison retorted.

"There is no such thing; a loud whisper is like a fine mess, an oxymoron." Derek said but he regretted the words as soon as he saw her demeanor change back into a more casual one. Addison stepped back a little to create more space between them and just shrugged a little. She glanced toward the room before looking back at him.

"Whatever you say, I guess." She said and walked all the way into the room.

Derek hung his head but quickly recovered as he followed her in and shut the door behind him.

Addison went straight for the bed and sat down on the edge to take her shoes off of her aching feet. He went straight for the closet to dump the bags down and then moved toward the closest counter to set down the grocery bags. He looked down into the bags, and started to rattle off all of the things he had picked up for her.

"Okay we have popcorn, Ben and Jerry ice cream: Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Just so that you have all your bases covered. I also bought you some gummy bears."

Derek trailed off as he finally turned around and looked at Addison sitting before him. Her leg was crossed over her lap so that her foot was easier to reach, and her hair was pulled off of her face so that as she looked at him with her head titled to one side, he could really see her beautiful eyes. He stood there for a second not knowing what to say but she eventually gave him a questioning smile.

"What is it that you are looking at?" She added, "Staring at actually."

Derek just smiled more and walked over to where she was, and stood before her, "You."

Addison furrowed her brow and then smiled a little at his odd behavior. "And what may I ask, is so interesting about me? I mean, I am fresh out of the hospital from a stay that was completely unnecessary—"

"You were knocked down by a two hundred pound criminal trying to flee the police. Overnight observation was a perfectly logical thing for Bailey to order."

Addison cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't think I do not know you were the one to convince her to admit me."

Derek put on a hurt expression, "Me? I would never do—"

"Oh yes you would because for the most part you are afraid of Bailey just like everyone else at the hospital but when it comes to the ones you love and their health… well nothing can make you back down." She mumbled before returning her gaze to her feet.

A silence fell over both of them as the weight of what she had just said hit both of them.

For his part, Derek looked around the hotel room and suddenly remembered the first time he had been there. The night after Meredith and Addison had both kissed him… and he found himself at Addie's door just because.

Because it was really the only thing he had wanted and needed to do.

Derek took his hand, and placed two of his fingers underneath Addison's chin so that she was looking at him. Now there was only one thing he wanted to say…

"I love you."

The smile that crossed her face was absolutely magnificent. It was a smile that he had fallen in love with at first glance, and it was one of the many reasons that Derek had known when they first started dating that Addison was the one he would spend his life with.

"I love you too."

Derek smiled at her then leaned down to place a soft, gentle, sweet kiss on her lips.

The moment that Addison had opened the door to her hotel suite that night only a week or so before had been the moment that Derek confronted and accepted a truth about his life and his marriage.

The truth was that Addison and Derek were in it for the long haul and really nothing could ever change that. That had been tested and they had overcome it all. Well, sure there were still problems but they would be worked in good time.

Derek knew it

* * *

The End.

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